Speaker Welch Selects Diverse Team of House Democrats to Lead Budget Negotiations
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A strong, diverse coalition of House Democratic lawmakers will lead the Caucus’ effort to continue rebuilding Illinois’ fiscal house, make smart investments in critical services, and prioritize the needs of working families.
“This negotiation team has a crucial role in the budget-making process and will be responsible for prioritizing the needs of people across this state, while also ensuring we continue to repair Illinois’ finances,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. “Financial stability remains one of my top priorities and I am confident this dynamic group of leaders will produce a final product that will move our state forward.”
The Budget Negotiation Team will be led by chief budgeteer and Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, and will include Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston; Assistant Majority Leader and House Revenue & Finance Chair Kelly Burke, D-Evergreen Park; Deputy Majority Leader Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero; and Reps. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, and Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights.
Appropriations committees will also lead efforts to review the Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed budget and the current Fiscal Year 2023 budget line-by-line to weigh expenses and determine future investments. Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, will lead the Appropriations-General Services Committee; Rep. Will Davis, D-East Hazel Crest, will lead the Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education Committee; Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, will lead the Appropriations-Higher Education Committee; Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, will lead the Appropriations-Health & Human Services Committee; and Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan, will lead the Appropriations-Public Safety Committee.
“Our budget is a reflection of our values, so it’s appropriate that our effort to build a smart, responsible, and compassionate budget is led by a group of dynamic and thoughtful lawmakers who look like Illinois and are ready to deliver for Illinois,” Gordon-Booth said. “We’ve made tremendous progress in rebuilding Illinois’ fiscal house over the past four years, and Governor Pritzker has laid out the work ahead of us. I look forward to a collaborative and inclusive process that brings this group, our appropriations committees, and our friends on the other side of the aisle together to work with stakeholders and develop a budget that is both fiscally and socially responsible.”
House Democrats will also convene a Medicaid Working Group to vet the number of introduced bills impacting Medicaid spending and guide policymaking during the upcoming Medicaid redetermination process, during which time enrollees must report their household income to renew eligibility.
The Medicaid Working Group will be led by Gabel, along with Gordon-Booth, Hernandez, and Lilly, and fellow members Rep. Dagmara ‘Dee’ Avelar, D-Bolingbrook; Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn; Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia; Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin; Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island; and Rep. Nick Smith, D-Chicago.
“Medicaid is a major segment of our budget, and our Medicaid policy is also a major part of our effort to be both responsible and compassionate,” Gabel said. “This group will bring diverse voices together to review legislation impacting Medicaid from all angles and contribute to a budget that invests in our immediate health and our long-term wellbeing.”